A Spicy Second-Chance Romance
Well, Actually
LGBTQ+ Romance, Romantic Comedy, Contemporary Romance
St. Martin's Griffin
August 5, 2025
Ebook, Paperback, Hardcover, Audiobook
384
An utterly delightful and sexy second-chance romance between a black cat and golden retriever with Mazey Edding's signature sparkling voice!
Eva Kitt never expected to be the host of Sausage Talk, interviewing B-list celebrities over lukewarm hot dogs, instead of pursuing the journalism career she dreamed of. But when Eva’s impromptu public call out of her college ex goes viral, she’s thrust into the spotlight. It doesn’t help said ex is Rylie Cooper, a beloved social media personality that has built a platform on deconstructing toxic masculinity and teaching men how to be good partners.
Forced to confront Rylie on a live episode of Sausage Talk, he offers Eva a deal: allow him to take her on a series of dates to make up for his toxic behavior, then debrief them on his channel to show he’s changed. Eva refuses to play nice, but agrees to the scheme to advance her own career and continue defaming Rylie’s good name. When these manufactured dates start to feel real, Eva has to wonder if the boy that broke her heart has become the man that might heal it.
“Haven’t you ever wanted a second chance to right a wrong?”
Mazey Eddings’ Well, Actually is a contemporary rom-com built on a second-chance romance between Eva Kitt, a sharp-tongued aspiring journalist, and Rylie Cooper, the ex who broke her heart in college. It leans into the grumpy/sunshine, black cat/golden retriever dynamic, with their reunion sparked by Eva’s drunken social media call-out gone viral.
What worked well:
- Strong LGBTQ+ representation that feels meaningful to the story
- Genuine vulnerability between Eva and Rylie
- Sharp humor and witty, laugh-out-loud dialogue
Where it fell short for me:
I wanted more balance in character development. Rylie’s backstory is well explored, but Eva’s motivations and inner wounds are left underdeveloped. Her quick temper and defensive walls are presented, but not fully explained, which made it hard to fully connect with her. I also would have liked to see her writing career play a bigger role on the page rather than being mostly told to us.
On a more personal note, I struggled with how much of their relationship dynamic centers on fighting. While conflict can add realism, the frequent verbal sparring sometimes crossed into feeling unhealthy, raising questions about what kinds of love we normalize in fiction when constant bickering is framed as devotion.
As one quote illustrates:
“I want to spend every day listening to you be an absolute shithead to me… I would fight with you. Argue with you. Kiss you and hug you and hold you.”
Well, Actually is funny, heartfelt in places, and will definitely appeal to readers who enjoy banter-heavy romances. For me, the relentless bickering overshadowed the tenderness, leaving me a bit disappointed. I’d give it 3 out of 5 stars—worth reading if you love the black cat/golden retriever trope, but not one I’ll revisit anytime soon.
Celeste is a woman who is unwavering about certain things in life; three of those being books, cats, and cold brew coffee. If she can enjoy all three at the same time, it’s going to be a good day. Her favorite genres are fantasy or sci-fi romance, historical romance, and historical fiction but every few books she likes to mix it up with contemporary fiction, a good psychological thriller, or an inspiring memoir. She has a busy schedule working full-time for an online university but she makes sure to unwind each day with stories, either by reading to her elementary school-aged daughter or tucking herself in bed with her Kindle or the latest book she picked up at a local book store.
